Black Lake Fishing near Bogalusa, Louisiana

• Overview

  Set in Washington Parish, Black Lake is a Louisiana water. Height above sea level is 98 feet. It covers about 23 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Few waters listed in Washington Parish are bigger. Bogalusa lies 9.3 miles from the water. The big place round here is Metairie, 68 miles distant. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Black Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records collected within a few miles name speckled darter, blackbanded darter, bluegill and spotted bass. Local agencies hold the definitive list for this water. On Black Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 81°F, while January sits near 49°F. The calendar barely matters here; the time of day does. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Black Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Warren Lake, 0.4 miles out. Treat access at Black Lake as something to verify.